Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
White House Worries J&J Supply, Hesitancy May Hamper Vaccine Goals
Politico: Biden Administration Frets J&J May Miss Vaccine Goal
Biden administration officials are increasingly concerned Johnson & Johnson may not deliver the 20 million doses of coronavirus vaccine it promised would be available by the end of this month, according to three senior administration officials. The full tranche of vaccine Johnson & Johnson committed in February to delivering may not be ready to ship until the second or third week of April, the officials said, potentially complicating preparations for states expecting millions of J&J shots. (Banco, Owermohle and Roubein, 3/22)
The Wall Street Journal: White House Teams With Groups On Vaccine-Hesitancy Campaign It Hopes Will Sway Conservatives
The Biden administration is enlisting the help of groups including the Christian Broadcasting Network Inc. and Nascar to encourage more people to get the Covid-19 vaccine, particularly members of communities that have been the most skeptical. The administration aims to use such organizations to help persuade conservatives, one of the demographic groups that polls show have significant reluctance to get the coronavirus vaccine. The Ad Council, a nonprofit that produces public-service announcements, and the Covid Collaborative, a coalition of leaders in education, health and economics, announced a campaign Tuesday that will run during time donated by media across TV and digital media platforms. (Armour and Siddiqui, 3/23)
In vaccine development news —
Reuters: Vaccine Makers Should License Technology To Overcome 'Grotesque' Inequity: WHO
More producers of COVID-19 vaccines should follow AstraZeneca’s lead and license technology to other manufacturers, the World Health Organization’s head said on Monday, as he described continuing vaccine inequity as “grotesque”. AstraZeneca’s shot, which new U.S. data on Monday showed was safe and effective despite some countries suspending inoculations over health concerns, is being produced in various locations including South Korea’s SKBioScience and the Serum Institute of India. (Nebehey and Miller, 3/23)
The Wall Street Journal: Pfizer Goes It Alone To Expand Vaccine Business Beyond Covid-19 Pandemic
Pfizer will develop new shots using the technology, called mRNA, to target other viruses and pathogens beyond the coronavirus, Chief Executive Albert Bourla said in an interview. He said the company’s scientists and engineers gained a decade’s worth of experience in the past year working on the Covid-19 vaccine with Germany’s BioNTech SE, BNTX -0.55% and is ready to pursue mRNA on its own. “There is a technology that has proven dramatic impact and dramatic potential,” Mr. Bourla said. “We are the best positioned company right now to take it to the next step because of our size and our expertise.” (Hopkins, 3/23)
Bloomberg: A New Generation of Vaccines Is Coming, Some With No Needles
The coronavirus outbreak made household names of companies like Moderna Inc. and BioNTech SE, whose shots offered hope for ending the pandemic. Now a new wave of vaccines is on the horizon that may get the world over the finish line of inoculation. Protecting 7.7 billion people is a herculean task. There are more than 250 vaccine candidates in the wings to take on the challenge, including 82 in human studies. In addition to sheer numbers, they offer unique benefits compared to the dozen now available. (Pernice, 3/23)
